Abstract:Commercial CMOS chips routinely operate at frequencies up to 5 GHz and exciting new opportunities exists in higher frequency bands such as 3-10 GHz, 17 GHz, 24 GHz, and 60 GHz. Many research groups have already demonstrated CMOS circuit operation beyond 100 GHz. Will circuit design and compact modeling continue along the same course, or is a new microwave design methodology required? This paper will highlight the design and modeling challenges in moving up to these higher frequencies. A merger of RF and microwave design perspectives will be used to offer insight into the problem. The paper will discuss requirements for a next generation compact model to meet these challenges and offer potential solutions.